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JOHN  KINZIE 


Chicago's  Pioneer 


A  SKETCH 


LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

AT  URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 

IN  MEMORY  OF 

STEWART  S.  HOWE 

JOURNALISM  CLASS  OF  1928 


STEWART  S.  HOWE  FOUNDATION 


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I  .H.S 


JOHN   KINZIE 


The  "Father  of  Chicago" 


A  SKETCH 


BY 
ELEANOR  LYTLE  KINZIE  GORDON 


I 


COPYRIGHTED  1910 
BY 

ELEANOR   KINZIE  GORDON 


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JOHN  KINZIE 


A   SKETCH 


John  McKenzie  was  the  son  of  Surgeon  John  Mc- 
Kenzie  of  the  60th  or  Royal  American  Regiment  of  Foot, 
and  of  Anne  Haleyburton,  the  widow  of  Chaplain  Wm. 
Haleyburton  of  the  First  or  Royal  American  Regiment 
of  Foot. 

Mrs.  Haleyburton  had  one  child  by  Maj.  Haleyburton, 
a  daughter  named  Alice,  born  January  22nd,  1758.  This 
event  took  place  just  before  the  regiment  embarked  from 
Ireland  for  America,  and  the  Haleyburtons  were  conse- 
quently delayed  for  several  weeks  before  rejoining  the 
command  in  Quebec. 

Major  Haleyburton  died  soon  after  their  arrival  in 
America,  and  his  widow  a  couple  of  years  later  married 
Surgeon  John  McKenzie.  Their  son  "John"  was  born  in 
Quebec,  December  3rd,  1763. 

Major  McKenzie  survived  the  birth  of  his  son  but  a 
few  months  and  his  widow  took  for  her  third  husband 
Mr.  William  Forsyth,  of  New  York  City. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Forsyth  had  five  sons,  William,  George, 
James,  Thomas,  and  Robert  Allan. 

In  the  old  family  Bible  is  the  following  touching 
record  of  an  event  that  occurred  after  the  family  had 
removed  from  New  York  to  Detroit: 

"George  Forsyth  was  lost  in  the  woods  6th  of  Aug., 
1775,  when  Henry  Hays  and  Mark  Stirling  ran  away 
and  left  him.  The  remains  of  Geo.  Forsyth  were  found 
by  ai3  Indian  the  2ud  of  Oct.,  1776,  close  by  the  Prairie 
Ronde." 

There  was  nothing  to  identify  the  child  except  the 
auburn  curls  of  his  hair  and  the  little  boots  he  had  worn. 


( 


In  this  same  old  Bible  the  "Mc"  is  dropped  in  re- 
cording the  birth  of  "John  Kinsey"  (so  spelled) ,  thus  in- 
dicating that  he  was  known  as  John  Kinsey,  (or,  as  he 
himself  spelled  it,  "Kinzie")  from  early  childhood. 

Young  John  grew  up  under  the  care  and  supervision 
of  his  step-father,  Mr.  Forsyth,  until  at  the  age  of  ten  he 
began  his  adventurous  career  by  running  away. 

He  and  his  two  half  brothers  attended  a  school  at 
Williamsburg,  L.  I.,  escorted  there  every  Monday  by  a 
servant,  who  came  to  bring  them  home  every  Friday, 
One  fine  afternoon  when  the  servant  came  to  take  the 
boys  home  Master  Johnny  was  missing.  An  immediate 
search  was  made,  but  not  a  trace  of  him  could  be  found. 
His  mother  was  almost  frantic.  The  mysterious  disap- 
pearance of  her  bright,  handsome  boy  was  a  fearful 
blow.  Days  passed  without  tidings  of  the  lost  one,  and 
hope  fled.  The  only  solution  suggested  was,  that  he 
might  have  been  accidently  drowned,  and  his  body 
swept  out  to  sea. 

Meantime  Master  John  was  very  much  alive. 

He  had  determined  to  go  to  Quebec  to  try,  as  he 
afterwards  explained,  to  discover  some  of  his  father's 
relations. 

He  had  managed  to  find  a  sloop  which  was  just  go- 
ing up  the  Hudson,  and  w^ith  the  confidence  and  auda- 
city of  a  child  he  stepped  gaily  on  board  and  set  forth 
on  his  travels. 

Most  fortunately  for  him  he  attracted  the  notice  of 
a  passenger  on  the  vessel  who  was  going  to  Quebec,  and 
w^ho  began  to  question  the  lonely  little  lad.  He  became 
so  interested  in  the  boy  that  he  took  him  in  charge,  paid 
his  fare  and  landed  him  safely  in  his  native  city. 

But  here,  alas.  Master  Johnnie  soon  found  himself 
stranded.  Very  cold,  very  hungry  and  very  miserable, 
he  was  wandering  down  one  of  the  streets  of  Quebec 
when  his  attention  was  attracted  by  a  glittering  array  of 
watches  and  silver  in  a  shop  window,  where  a  man  was 
sitting  repairing  a  clock. 

Johnny  stood  gazing  v\ristfully  in;  his  yellow  curls, 
blue  eyes,  and  pathetic  little  face  appealed  to  the  kind 
silversmith,  who  beckoned  him  into  the  shop  and  soon 


learned  his  story.  'And  what  are  you  going  to  do  now?" 
asked  the  man.  "I  am  going  to  work"  replied  "ten-year- 
old"  valiantly.  "Why,  what  could  you  do?"  laughed  the 
man.  "I  could  do  anything  you  told  me  to  do,  if  you  just 
showed  me  how  to  do  it,"  said  John-  The  result  was 
that  John  got  the  job. 

The  silversmith  had  no  children,  and  as  the  months 
rolled  on  he  grew  more  and  more  fond  of  John.  He 
taught  him  as  much  of  his  trade  as  the  lad  could  acquire 
in  the  three  years  of  his  stay  in  Quebec. 

This  knowledge  was  of  great  value  to  him  when  la- 
ter on  in  his  life  it  enabled  him  to  secure  the  friendship 
and  assistance  of  the  Indians  by  fashioning  various  or- 
naments and  "tokens"  for  them  from  the  silver  money 
paid  to  them  as  annuities  by  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment. The  Indians  gave  him  the  name  of  "Shaw-nee- 
aw-kee"  or  the  Silver  Man,  and  by  that  name  he  was 
known  among  all  the  tribes  of  the  Northwest. 

These  happy  and  useful  years  drew  to  a  close.  As 
John  was  one  day  walking  down  the  street,  a  gentlemen 
from  New  York  stopped  him  and  said:  "Are  you  not 
Johnny  Kinzie?"  John  admitted  that  he  was — and  the 
gentleman  armed  with  the  astonishing  news  and  the 
boy's  address,  promptly  communicated  with  Mr.  Forsyth, 
who  at  once  came  to  Quebec  and  took  the  runaway  home. 

I  dare  say  his  rejoicing  mother  saved  him  from  the 
sound  thrashing  he  richly  deserved  at  the  hands  of  his 
step-father. 

John  had  had  enough  of  running  away,  and  was  now 
content  to  stay  at  home  and  buckle  down  to  his  books. 
The  few  letters  of  his  which  remain  and  are  preserved 
in  the  Chicago  Historical  Society  show  the  results  of  an 
excellent  education. 

The  roving  spirit  was  still  alive  in  him,  however. 
Mr.  Forsyth  had  moved  West  and  settled  in  Detroit,  and 
when  John  was  about  eighteen  years  old  he  persuaded 
his  step-father  to  fit  him  out  as  an  Indian  trader. 

This  venture  proved  a  great  success.  Before  he  was 
one  and  twenty,  young  Kinzie  had  established  t\M  o  trad- 
ing posts, — one  at   Sandusky   and   one  at  Maumee,  and 


was  pushing  towards  the  West,  where  he  later  started  a 
depot  at  St.  Joseph,  Michigan, 

In  all  of  his  new  and  arduous  career  he  was  greatly 
aided  and  protected  by  John  Harris,  the  famous  Indian 
Scout  and  trader  mentioned  by  Irving  in  his  Life  of 
"Washington  (Volume  1,  Chapter  XII.)  In  grateful  ap- 
preciation of  these  kindnesses  he  named  his  son  "John 
Harris"  for  this  valued  friend. 

John  Kinzie's  success  as  an  Indian  trader  was  almost 
phenomenal.  He  acquired  their  language  with  great  fa- 
cility; he  respected  their  customs,  and  they  soon  found 
that  his  "word  was  as  good  as  his  bond."  He  was  a 
keen  trader,  not  allowing  himself  to  be  cheated,  nor  at- 
tempting to  cheat  them.  He  quickly  gained  the  confi- 
dence and  esteem  of  the  various  tribes  with  which  he 
dealt,  and  the  personal  friendship  of  many  of  their  most 
powerful  chiefs,  who  showed  themselves  ready  to  shield 
him  in  danger,  and  to  rescue  him  from  harm  at  the  risk 
of  their  lives. 

A.n  event  in  the  life  of  John  Kinzie  may  be  here 
stated,  and  the  romantic  and  sensational  tales  concern- 
ing it,  as  put  forth  by  some  historians,  corrected.  In  the 
year  1775,  the  two  little  girls  of  a  Mr.  Isaac  McKenzie 
were  stolen  from  their  home  in  Giles  County  Virginia, 
near  the  Kanawha  River,  by  a  party  of  Shawnee  Indians. 
Margaret  was  ten  years  old,  and  Elizabeth  was  two 
years  younger.  They  had  been  captives  among  these 
savages  for  ten  years,  when  a  trader  named  John  Clark, 
and  John  Kinzie  heard  of  them,  and  that  there  was  a 
plan  on  foot  to  compel  these  young  women  to  marry 
certain  men  of  the  tribe.  Kinzie  and  Clark  determined 
to  rescue  them.  By  means  of  a  liberal  expenditure  of 
guns,  ammunition,  blankets,  etc.,  they  succeeded  in  ran- 
soming the  two  young  women.  Margaret  took  up  her 
abode  with  Kinzie,  and  Elizabeth  with  Clark. 

When,  several  years  later,  Isaac  McKenzie  learned 
of  his  daughters'  safety  he  came  West  to  claim  them. 

By  this  time  Margaret  had  three  children,  James, 
William  and  Elizabeth.  In  spite  of  Mr.  Kinzie's  offer 
to  marry  her  Margaret  refused  to  remain  with  him,  but 
taking  her  children  went  back  to  Virginia  with  her  fa- 
ther, where  she  promptly  asserted  her  freedom  from  any 


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legal  ties  elsewhere  by  marrying  a  man  named  Benjamin 
Hall. 

Margaret  McKenzie's  desertion  of  the  man  who  had 
saved  her  from  a  cruel  fate  can  only  be  condoned  by  the 
fact  that  she  had  spent  ten  years  of  her  life  among  sava- 
ges, and  that  the  prospect  of  a  return  to  her  early  home 
and  the  comforts  of  civilization  appealed  to  her  too 
strongly  to  be  resisted  when  contrasted  with  the  hard- 
ships of  life  on  the  frontier. 

After  the  breaking  up  of  his  home  and  the  loss  of 
his  children,  Mr.  Kinzie  threw  himself  with  restless 
energy  into  his  business.  He  made  long  and  arduous 
journeys,  extending  his  trading  posts  far  into  the  West. 

When  in  the  neighborhood  of  Detroit,  he  made  his 
home  with  his  half-brother,  William  Forsyth,  who  had 
married  a  Miss  Margaret  Lytle,  daughter  of  Col.  "William 
Lytle  of  Virginia.  Here  he  was  always  a  welcome 
guest;  and  here  he  met  Mrs.  Forsyth's  younger  sister, 
Eleanor.  She  was  the  widow  of  a  British  Officer,  Capt. 
Daniel  McKillip,  who  had  been  killed  in  a  sortie  from 
Ft.  Defiance.  Since  his  death,  she,  and  her  little  daughter 
Margaret,  had  made  their  home  with  the  Forsyths. 

John  Kinzie  fell  desperately  in  love  with  the  hand- 
some young  widow,  and  on  January  23rd,  1798,  they 
were  married, 

Mr.  Kinzie  continued  to  extend  his  business  still 
farther  West,  and  in  October,  1803,  when  his  son  "John 
Harris"  was  but  three  months  old,  he  moved  with  his 
family  to  Chicago,  where  he  purchased  the  trading  estab- 
lishment of  a  Frenchman  named  Le  Mai. 

Here,  cut  off  from  the  world  at  large,  with  no  society 
but  the  military  at  Fort  Dearborn,  the  Kinzies  lived  in 
great  contentment,  and  in  the  enjoyment  of  all  the  com- 
forts, together  with  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life.  The 
first  white  child  born  outside  of  Fort  Dearborn  was 
their  little  daughter  Ellen  Marion,  on  December  20,  1805. 
Next  came  Maria,  born  September  28,  1807.  Then,  lastly, 
Robert  Allan,  born  February  8,  1810. 

By  degrees,  Mr.  Kinzie  established  still  more  remote 
posts,  all  contributing  to  the  parent  one  at  Chicago.  At 
Milwaukee,  with  the   Menomenees;  at   Rock  River  with 


the  "Winnebagoes  and  the  Pottawatamies;  on  the  Illinois 
River  and  the  Kankakee  with  the  Pottawatamies  of  the 
Prairies;  and  with  the  Kickapoos  in  what  was  called  'Xe 
Large,"  being  the  widely  extended  district  afterwards 
converted  into  Sangamon  County.  He  was  appointed 
Sub-Indian  Agent  and  Government  Interpreter,  in  which 
capacities  he  rendered  valuable  services. 

The  killing  of  a  Frenchman  named  Lalime  by  John 
Kinzie  occurred  about  the  year  1810,  under  the  following 
circumstances:  Lalime  became  insanely  jealous  of  Mr. 
Kinzie's  success  as  a  rival  trader,  and  was  unwise  enough 
to  threaten  to  take  Kinzie's  life.  The  latter  only  laughed 
at  the  reports,  saying  "Threatened  men  live  long,  and  I 
am  not  worrying  over  Lalime's  wild  talk."  Several  of  his 
staunchest  Indian  friends,  however,  continued  to  warn 
him,  and  he  at  last  consented  to  carry  some  sort  of  wea- 
pon in  case  Lalime  really  had  the  folly  to  attack  him. 
He  accordingly  took  a  carving  knife  from  the  house  and 
started  to  sharpen  it  on  a  grindstone  in  the  woodshed. 
Young  John  stood  beside  him  much  interested  in  this 
novel  proceeding.  "What  are  you  doing,  Father?"  he 
asked.  "  Sharpening  this  knife,  my  son,"  was  the  reply, 
"  What  for?"  said  John.  "Go  into  the  house,"  replied  his 
father,  "and  don't  ask  questions  about  things  that  don't 
concern  you."  A  few  days  passed.  Nothing  happened, 
but  Mr.  Kinzie  carried  the  knife. 

Mrs.  Kinzie's  daughter  by  her  first  marriage  was  now 
seventeen  years  old,  and  was  the  wife  of  Lieut.  Linai 
Thomas  Helm,  one  of  the  officers  stationed  at  Fort  Dear- 
born, and  Mr.  Kinzie  frequently  w^ent  over  there  to  spend 
the  evening.  One  very  dark  night  he  sauntered  over  to 
the  Fort,  and  just  as  he  was  entering  the  enclosure,  a  man 
sprang  out  from  behind  the  gate  post  and  plunged  a 
knife  into  his  neck.  It  was  Lalime.  Quick  as  a  flash  Mr. 
Kinzie  drew  his  knife  and  dealt  Lalime  a  furious  blow, 
and  a  fatal  one.  The  man  fell  like  a  log  into  the  river 
below.  Mr.  Kinzie  staggered  home,  covered  with  blood 
from  the  deep  wound. 

The  late  Gurdon  S.  Hubbard  in  a  letter  to  a  grand- 
son of  John  Kinzie,  gives  the  following  account  of  the 
affair  : 

8 


143  Locust  St., 
Chicago,  111.,  Feb.  6th,  1884. 
Arthur  M.  Kinzie,  Esq., 
My  Dear  Sir, 
I  have  yours  of  5th.     You  corroborate  what  I  have 
said  about  your  grandfather  killing  Lalime  as  far  as  you 
state.     I  am  glad  you  do.     I  cannot  forget  what  I  heard 
from  your  grandmother  and  Mrs  Helm.     They  said  your 
grandfather,  coming  in  bloody,  said  "I  have  killed  Lalime. 
A  guard  will    be    sent  from  the  Fort  to  take  me.     Dress 
my  neck  quickly!"     Your    Grandmother    did  so,  remark- 
ing "They  shall  not  take  you  to  the  fort — come  with  me 
to   the    woods."     She    hid    him,    came  home,  and  soon  a 
Sergeant    with    guard    appeared.     Could    not    find  your 
grandfather. 

After  the  excitement  was  over,  the  officers  began  to 
reason  on  the  subject  calmly,  for  Lalime  was  highly  re- 
spected, good  social  company,  educated.  They  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  the  act  v/as  in  self  defence.  The  his- 
tory of  Chicago,  by  Mr.  Andreas  will  soon  be  out.  He 
sent  me  the  account  relating  to  your  grandfather  to  re- 
vise. Much  in  it  incorrect,  which  I  have  explained. 
Can't  you  come  and  see  meV 

Your  friend, 
G.  S.  Hubbard. 

The  above  tallies  with  the  account  held  by  the  fam- 
ily, except  that  it  was  always  stated  that  after  the  excite- 
ment subsided,  which  it  did  in  a  few  weeks,  Mr.  Kinzie 
sent  word  to  the  Commanding  Officer  at  the  Fort  that  he 
wished  to  come  in,  give  himself  up  and  have  a  fair  trial. 
This  was  done.  The  fresh  wounds  in  his  neck,  which 
had  barely  missed  the  jugular  vein,  and  the  testimony 
given  as  to  the  threats  Lalime  had  uttered,  resulted  in 
an  immediate  verdict  of  justifiable  homicide. 

In  the  meantime  some  of  Lalime's  friends  conceived 
the  idea  that  it  would  be  suitable  punishment  to  Mr.  Kin- 
zie to  bury  his  victim  directly  in  front  of  the  Kinzie 
home,  where  he  must  necessarily  behold  the  grave  every 
time  he  passed  out  of  his  own  gate.  Great  was  their 
chagrin  and  dissapointment,  however,  when  Mr.  Kinzie, 
far  from  being  annoyed  at  their  action,  proceeded  to 
make    Lalime's    grave    his  especial  care.     Flowers    were 


planted  on  it  and  it  was  kept  in  most  beautiful  order. 
Many  a  half  hour  the  Kinzie  children  had  longed  to  spend 
in  play,  was  occupied  by  their  father's  orders  in  raking 
the  dead  leaves  away  from  Lalime's  grave  and  watering 
its  flowers. 

During  all  these  years  and  up  to  the  spring  of  1812, 
a  constant  and  friendly  intercourse  had  been  maintained 
between  the  troops  in  Fort  Dearborn  and  the  Indians. 
It  is  true  that  the  principal  men  of  the  Pottawatamie  Na- 
tion, like  those  of  most  of  the  tribes,  went  yearly  to  Fort 
Maiden  in  Canada,  to  receive  a  large  amount  of  presents 
with  which  the  British  Government  had  been  for  many 
years  in  the  habit  of  purchasing  their  alliance;  and  it  was 
w^ell  known  that  many  of  the  Pottaw^atamies,  as  w^ell  as 
the  Winnebagoes,  had  been  engaged  with  the  Ottawas 
and  the  Shaw^nees  at  the  Battle  of  Tippecanoe  the  preced- 
ing autumn;  yet,  as  tlie  principal  chiefs  of  all  the  bdnds 
in  the  neighborhood  appeared  to  be  on  the  most  amica- 
ble terms  with  the  Americans,  no  interruption  of  their 
harmony  was  at  any  time  anticipated.  But  a  terrible 
tragedy  was  soon  to  awaken  both  troops  and  settlers 
from  their  fancied  security. 

During  the  afternoon  of  April  7th,  a  party  of  ten  or 
twelve  Indians,  dressed  and  painted,  arrived  at  Lee's 
place,  a  farm  on  the  Chicago  River  about  four  miles  from 
its  mouth,  and  now  occupied  by  a  Mr.  White  and  three 
persons  employed  by  him  to  assist  in  w^orking  the  farm. 

The  Indians,  according  to  the  custom  among  sava- 
ges, entered  the  house  and  seated  themselves  without 
ceremony.  One  of  the  family,  a  Frenchman,  remarked: 
"I  don't  like  the  looks  of  these  Indians.  They  are  none 
of  our  friends.  I  know  by  their  dress  and  their  paint 
that  they  are  not  Pottawatamies."  Another  of  the  fam- 
ily, a  discharged  soldier,  then  said  to  a  boy  who  was  pres- 
ent: "If  that  is  so  we  had  better  get  aw^ay  from  here. 
Say  nothing  but  do  as  I  do."  It  was  growing  late  and  the 
soldier,  followed  by  the  boy,  strolled  down  to  the  river 
bank,  where  a  couple  of  canoes  were  tied.  The  Indians 
asked  by  signs  where  they  were  going  and  were  told  that 
the  cattle  in  the  fields  across  the  river  had  to  be  foddered, 
and  that  they  would  then  return  to  get  their  supper. 
They  accordingly  crossed  in  the  canoes,  and  after  making 
a  show  of  collecting  the  cattle  and  pulling  some  hay  for 

10 


them,  they  gradually  made  a  circuit  till  their  movements 
were  concealed  by  the  haystacks  and  then  took  to  the 
woods,  which  were  close  at  hand,  and  made  for  the  fort. 
After  they  had  run  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  they  heard 
the  discharge  of  two  guns  successively,  which  they  sup- 
posed had  been  leveled  at  the  companions  they  had  left 
behind.  On  their  way  they  called  across  the  river  to 
warn  the  Burns  family,  and  then  hastened  on  to  the  Fort. 
Realizing  the  great  danger  now  threatening  the  Burns 
family,  a  gallant  young  officer  of  the  Fort,  Lieut.  Ronan, 
offered  to  go  with  five  or  six  soldiers  to  their  rescue. 
They  ascended  the  river  in  a  scow,  took  the  mother  with 
her  one-day-old-infant  and  brought  her  with  the  rest  of 
her  family  safely  to  the  fort. 

A  cannon  was  fired  from  the  fort  as  a  signal  to  warn 
all  outside  the  fort  of  danger,  and  the  Indians  hearing  it, 
having  completed  their  murderous  work,  hastily  retreat- 
ed to  their  home  on  the  Rock  river.  From  traders  out 
in  the  Indian  country  it  was  learned  subsequently  that 
these  murders  were  committed  by  a  party  of  Winneba- 
goes  who  had  come  into  this  neighborhood  "to  take 
scalps."  and  that  their  purpose  was  to  proceed  down  the 
river  from  Lee's  place  and  to  murder  every  white  man 
outside  the  fort.  But  for  the  firing  of  the  cannon  they 
would  have  carried  out  their  sanguinary  design. 

The  inhabitants  outside  the  fort  consisted  only  of  a 
few  families  of  discharged  soldiers  and  half-breeds. 
These  now  entrenched  themselves  in  the  Agency  House 
which  stood  on  the  esplanade,  west  of  the  fort,  and  was 
included  in  the  fortifications.  The  family  of  Mr.  Kinzie 
took  refuge  in  the  fort,  where  they  remained  until,  after 
a  few  weeks  of  peace  had  reassured  them,  they  returned 
to  their  home  across  the  river. 

Some  months  of  quiet  now  ensued. 

On  the  afternoon  of  August  7th,  a  Pottawatamie  Chief 
named  Win-ne-meg,  or  Cat-fish,  arrived  at  the  post,  bring- 
ing dispatches  from  General  Hull.  These  announced  the 
declaration  of  war  between  the  United  States  and  Great 
Britain.  Also,  that  General  Hull,  at  the  head  of  the 
Northwestern  Army,  had  arrived  at  Detroit,  and  that  the 
Island  of  Mackinac  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the 
British. 

11 


The  orders  to  Capt.  Heald  were,  to  'evacuate  the  fort 
if  practicable,  and  in  that  event  to  distribute  all  the  Unit- 
ed States  property  contained  in  the  fort  and  in  the  Unit- 
ed States  factory,  or  agency,  among  the  Indians  in  the 
neighborhood."  After  delivering  his  dispatches,  Winne- 
meg  requested  a  private  interview  with  Mr.  Kinzie.  He 
told  Mr.  Kinzie  that  he  knew  the  contents  of  the  commu- 
nication he  had  brought  and  that  he  hoped  Capt.  Heald 
would  not  attempt  to  evacuate  the  fort,  giving  as  his  rea- 
son the  fact  that  the  garrison  was  well  supplied  with 
enough  provisions  and  ammunition  to  last  six  months,  or 
until  reinforcements  could  be  sent  to  their  assistance. 
But  in  case  Capt.  Heald  decided  upon  leaving  the  post, 
he  urged  the  necessity  of  doing  it  immediately,  before  the 
Pottawatamies,  through  whose  country  they  must  pass, 
could  make  any  plans  to  intercept  them.  He  suggested 
that  the  fort  might  be  evacuated,  leaving  everything 
standing,  as  possibly  while  the  Indians  were  engaged  in 
the  partition  of  the  spoils,  the  troops  might  effect  their 
retreat  unmolested. 

Mr.  Kinzie  strongly  advised  this  course,  but  it  did 
not  meet  the  approbation  of  the  Commanding  Officer, 
who  replied  that  he  should  carry  out  the  orders  he  had 
received,  but  that  he  could  not  do  so  until  he  had  collect- 
ed the  Indians  and  had  distributed  the  United  States 
property  among  them,  as  General  Hull  specified. 

The  order  for  evacuating  the  fort  w^as  read  next 
morning  upon  parade. 

On  the  12th  of  August,  the  general  despondency  was 
somewhat  relieved  by  the  arrival  of  Capt.  Wells,  with  a 
band  af  27  friendly  Miamis.  Of  this  brave  man,  so  well 
know^n  on  the  frontier,  a  w^ord  must  here  be  said.  When 
a  boy  he  had].been  stolen  from  his  friends,  the  family  of 
Nathaniel  Pope  in  Kentucky.  He  was  recovered  by  them 
but  later  voluntarily  returned  to  his  Indian  friends  and 
married  a  Miami  woman,  and  became  a  Chief  of  the  Na- 
tion. Hearing  at  Ft.  Wayne  of  the  order  for  evacuating 
the  fort  at  Chicago,  and  knowing  the  hostility  of  the  Pot- 
tawatamies, he  had  made  a  rapid  march  across  country 
to  prevent  the  exposure  of  his  relative,  Captain  Heald, 
and  his  troops,  to  certain  destruction. 

On  the  afternoon  of  Captain  Wells'  arrival  (August 
12th)  a  council  was  held  with  the  Indians  who  had  been 

12 


summoned  from  the  neighboring  villages.  The  officers 
had  been  secretly  v/arned  that  there  was  a  plot  for  the 
young  chiefs  to  fall  upon  and  massacre  them  while  in 
council.  They  could  not  persuade  Captain  Heald,  how- 
ever of  the  truth  of  their  information,  and  he  left  them 
for  the  council,  accompanied  only  by  Captain  Wells  and 
Mr.  Kinzie.  Immediately  after  their  departure,  the  offi- 
cers took  command  of  the  blockhouses  which  overlooked 
the  esplanade  where  the  council  was  held,  and  pointed 
the  cannon  so  as  to  command  the  w^hole  assembly.  By 
this  means  probably  the  lives  of  the  whites  who  were 
present  were  preserved. 

The  officers  of  the  fort  comprised  Capt.  Heald,  Lieut. 
Helm  (the  son-in-law  of  Mrs.  Kirzie,)  Ensign  Ronan, — 
the  two  latter  very  young  men,  and  the  Surgeon,  Dr.  Van 
Voorhees.  The  command  consisted  of  about  seventy-five 
men. 

As  Captain  Heald  showed  no  intention  of  calling  a 
council  of  his  officers  they  waited  on  him  to  inquire  what 
course  he  meant  to  pursue. 

He  informed  them  that  he  intended  to  evacuate  the 
fort.  They  strongly  remonstrated  with  him  on  the  fol- 
lowing grounds: 

First,  it  was  highly  improbable  that  the  command 
would  be  permitted  to  pass  through  the  country  in  safety 
to  Ft.  Wayne  (Detroit)  for  though  it  had  been  said  that 
some  of  the  Chielshad  opposed  an  attack  upon  the  fort, 
planned  the  preceding  autumn,  yet  it  was  well  known 
that  they  had  been  actuated  in  that  matter  solely  by  mo- 
tives of  private  regard  for  one  family — that  of  Mr.  Kin- 
zie— and  not  from  any  general  friendship  towards  Amer- 
icans. And  that  at  any  rate  it  was  hardly  expected  that 
these  few  individuals  would  be  able  to  control  the  whole 
tribe  who  were  thirsting  for  blood. 

In  the  next  place,  their  march  must  necessarily  be 
slow  on  account  of  the  women  and  children,  of  whom 
there  were  a  number  among  the  detachment — and  of  the 
men  a  number  w^ere  old  and  invalid;  therefore,  since  the 
evacuation  was  left  discretional  it  would  be  wiser  to  re- 
main where  they  were,  and  fortify  themselves  as  strong- 
ly as  possible.     Succor  might  arrive  before  they  could  be 

13 


attacked  by  a  British  force  from  Makinac,  and  it  would 
be  preferable  at  any  rate  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
British  rather  than  to  become  the  victims  of  savages. 

Captain  Heald  argued  in  reply  that  a  special  order 
had  been  issued  by  the  War  Department  that  no  post 
should  be  surrendered  without  battle  being  given,  and 
that  his  force  was  too  small  to  risk  an  engagement,  and 
that  he  would  be  censured  if  he  remained  at  the  fort 
when  there  seemed  to  be  a  chance  of  making  a  safe 
march  through.  Therefore,  he  thought  it  better  to  as- 
semble the  Indians,  distribute  the  Government  property, 
and  offer  them  a  large  reward  for  an  escort  of  Indians  to 
see  them  safely  to  Ft.  Wayne.  He  added  that  he  had 
full  confidence  in  the  Indians  and  that  the  knowledge  of 
the  capture  of  Mackinac  by  the  British  had  been  kept  a 
profound  secret  from  the  Indians,  as  well  as  from  the 
soldiers. 

From  this  time  the  officers  held  themselves  aloof, 
and  though  they  spoke  seldom  on  the  subject,  they  con- 
sidered Captain  Heald's  plan  little  short  of  madness. 
Dissatisfaction,  amounting  almost  to  insubordination,  was 
to  be  noted  among  the  soldiers  also. 

After  the  "War  council,  Captain  ^X/'ells  took  a  survey 
of  arms,  ammuntion  and  provisions  in  the  fort  and  found 
a  sufficient  supply  to  last  three  months.  He  determined 
to  make  a  final  effort  to  persuade  Captain  Heald  to  de- 
stroy the  ammunition  and  guns  before  carrying  out  the 
order  to  distribute  the  Fort's  property  among  the  Indians 
and  he  insisted  that  Helm  and  Kinzie  should  join  with 
him  in  the  interview  with  Captain  Heald. 

Mr.  Kinzie,  who  understood  well  not  only  the  Indian 
character,  but  the  tone  of  feeling  prevailing  among  them, 
reminded  Captain  Heald  that  since  the  troubles  with  the 
Indians  on  the  Wabash  and  its  vicinity,  there  had  been 
apparently  a  settled  plan  of  hostility  towards  the  whites, 
in  consequence  of  which  it  had  been  the  policy  of  the 
Americans  to  w^ithhold  from  them  arms,  ammunition  and 
whatever  would  enable  them  to  carry  on  their  warfare 
upon  the  defenceless  inhabitants  of  the  frontier.  Mr. 
Kinzie  also  recalled  to  Captain  Heald  how^  he  himself 
had  left  home  for  Detroit  the  previous  autumn,  but  upon 
receiving  when  he  reached  Du  Charmes  (now  Ypsilanti) 

14 


the  news  of  the  Battle  of  Tippecanoe,  he  had  at  once  re- 
turned to  Chicago,  that  he  might  dispatch  orders  to  his 
traders  to  furnish  no  ammunition  to  the  Indians;  in  con- 
sequence of  which  all  they  had  on  hand  was  secreted; 
and  such  traders  as  had  not  started  for  their  wintering 
grounds  took  neither  powder  nor  shot  w^ith  them. 

Captain  Heald  hesitated,  but  remarked  that  his  or- 
ders had  been  to  divide  everything  among  the  Indians, 
and  that  they  had  heard  this  order  read  on  parade.  He 
said  it  was  not  sound  policy  to  lie  to  the  Indians;  that  it 
would  irritate  them  to  dissapoint  them,  and  might  lead  to 
the  destruction  of  his  men. 

Mr.  Kinzie  then  offered  to  take  upon  himself  the  re- 
sponsibility of  destroying  the  ammunition;  and,  in  order 
to  shield  Captain  Heald  from  possible  future  censure  by 
his  superior  officers,  and  to  turn  away  the  wrath  of  the 
Indians,  he  personally  wrote  an  order  purporting  to  be 
from  General  Hull,  cancelling  his  previous  instructions 
to  give  away  the  ammunition,  and  ordering  Captain 
Heald  to  destroy  it.  To  this  plan  Captain  Heald  consent- 
ed, and  on  the  13th  all  the  goods,  blankets,  calicoes, 
paints,  etc.,  were  distributed  to  the  Indians  as  stipulated. 
That  same  evening  the  ammunition  was  thrown  into  a 
well  in  the  sallyport  and  the  liquor  was  secretly  carried 
down  to  the  river,  the  heads  of  the  barrels  knocked  in 
and  their  contents  poured  into  the  stream. 

All  the  muskets  not  necessary  for  the  command  on 
the  march  were  broken  up,  and  with  the  bags  of  shot, 
flints,  gun-screws,  etc.,  v/ere  thrown  into  the  well. 

Notwithstanding  the  attempts  at  secrecy,  the  Indians 
had  learned  of  the  destruction  of  the  ammunition  and  of 
the  liquor,  and  were  greatly  enraged  at  it.  Murmurs  and 
threats  were  everywhere  heard  among  them  and  it  was 
evident  that  they  would  wreak  their  vengeance  on  the 
troops  at  the  earliest  opportunity. 

Among  the  Chiefs  there  were  several  who  retained  a 
personal  regard  for  some  of  the  troops  at  the  post — and 
in  particular  for  Mr.  Kinzie  and  his  family.  One  of  the 
most  conspicuous  of  these  friendly  chiefs  was  "Black  Par- 
tridge." C3n  the  evening  succeeding  the  council  he  came 
to  the  quarters  of  Captain  Heald.     "Father,"  said  he,  "I 

15 


come  to  deliver  up  to  you  the  medal  I  wear.  It  was  giv- 
en me  by  the  Americans  and  I  have  long  worn  it  in  tok- 
en of  our  mutual  friendship.  But  our  young  men  are 
determined  to  imbrue  their  hands  in  the  blood  of  the 
whites,  I  cannot  restrain  them,  and  I  will  not  wear  a 
token  of  peace  while  I  am  compelled  to  act  as  an  enemy.'' 

Had  further  evidence  been  wanting,  this  circumstance 
would  have  proved  to  the  devoted  band  the  justice  of 
their  melancholy  anticipations. 

The  morning  of  the  15th  arrived.  All  things  were 
in  readiness,  and  nine  o'clock  was  the  hour  named  for 
starting.  Early  that  same  day,  Mr.  Kinzie  received  a 
message  from  "To-pee-nee-bee"  a  chief  of  the  St.  Joseph's 
band,  informing  him  that  mischief  was  intended  by  the 
Pottawatamies,  who  had  engaged  to  escort  the  detach- 
ment, and  urging  him  to  relinquish  his  design  of  accom- 
panying the  troops  by  land,  promising  that  a  boat  con- 
taining himself  and  family  should  be  permitted  to  pass 
in  safety  to  St.  Joseph's.  Mr.  Kinzie  gladly  accepted  this 
offer  on  behalf  of  his  family,  but  firmly  declined  it  for 
himself.  He  had  determined  to  accompany  the  com- 
mand on  their  perilous  march.  He  hoped  that  his  pres- 
ence with  the  troops  might  operate  as  a  restraint  on  the 
fury  of  the  savages,  so  warmly  were  the  greater  part  of 
them  attached  to  himself  and  his  family;  yet  he  fully  rea- 
lized the  possibility  of  a  savage  outbreak  that  would 
spare  neither  friend  nor  foe. 

Seldom  does  one  find  a  man  with  the  personal  cour- 
age and  civic  virtue  of  John  Kinzie,  who  thus  refused 
safety  for  himself  in  order  to  stand  or  fall  with  his  coun- 
trymen, and  who,  as  stern  as  any  Spartan,  bade  farewell 
to  his  family  and  cast  in  his  lot  with  that  little  handful 
who  went  forward  to  almost  certain  destruction. 

In  accordance  with  the  promise  given  to  convey  Mr, 
Kinzie's  family  to  a  place  of  safety  under  the  care  of  some 
friendly  Indians,  they  were  now  placed  in  boats  to  be 
carried  to  St  Joseph's,  and  thence  to  Detroit.  The  party 
consisted  of  Mrs.  Kinzie:  her  four  children  (the  eldest 
nine  and  the  youngest  two  years  of  age;)  their  nurse, 
Gruette;  one  of  Mr.  Kinzie's  clerks;  the  boatmen  and  the 
two  Indians  who  acted  as  their  protectors. 

16 


Scarcely  had  they  started  when  the  Indian  Chief 
To-pee-nee-bee  arrived  to  detain  them  where  they  were. 
In  breathless  expectation  Mrs.  Kinzie  sat.  She  was  a  wo- 
man of  uncommon  energy  and  strength  of  character,  but 
her  heart  died  within  her  as  she  folded  her  arms  around 
her  helpless  infants  and  gazed  upon  the  departure  of  her 
husband  and  eldest  child  (Mrs.  Helm)  to  what  might  be 
a  frightful  death,  As  the  troops  left  the  fort,  the  band 
struck  up  the  "Dead  March."  Captain  Wells  with  his 
little  band  of  Miamis  was  in  the  lead.  His  face  was 
blackened  (Indian  fashion)  in  token  of  his  impending 
fate. 

They  had  hardly  marched  a  mile  and  a  half  along 
the  lake  shore  when  Captain  Wells,  who,  with  his  Miamis 
was  somewhat  in  advance,  came  galloping  back.  "The 
Indians  are  about  to  attack  us,"  he  shouted  furiously, 
"Form  instantly  and  charge  them."  Scarcely  were  these 
words  uttered  when  a  volley  was  showered  from  among 
the  sandhills.  The  troops  were  hastily  lined  up  and 
charged  up  the  bank.  Capt.  Wells  rode  up  to  the  Potta- 
wattamies  and,  brandishing  his  tomahawk,  he  called  out 
"You  have  deceived  the  Americans  and  us.  I  will  be  the 
first  to  head  a  party  of  Americans  to  return  and  punish 
your  treachery!"  The  battle  raged  only  a  few  minutes, 
but  most  of  the  whites  were  killed  or  wounded  in  the 
first  onslaught. 

Mrs.  Helm's  account  of  her  rescue,  given  in  her  own 
words,  was  as  follows: 

"The  troops  behaved  most  gallantly.  They  were 
but  a  handful,  but  they  seemed  resolved  to  sell  their 
lives  as  dearly  as  possible.  Our  horses  pranced  and 
bounded,  and  could  hardly  be  restrained  as  the  balls 
whistled  among  them.  I  drew  off  a  little,  and  gazed  up- 
on my  husband  and  father,  who  were  yet  unharmed,  I 
felt  that  my  hour  was  come,  and  endeavored  to  forget 
those  I  loved,  and  prepare  myself  for  my  approaching 
fate. 

"At  this  moment  a  young  Indian  raised  his  toma- 
hawk at  me.  By  springing  aside,  I  partially  avoided  the 
blow,  which  was  intended  for  my  skull,  but  which  alight- 
ed on  my  shoulder.  I  seized  him  around  the  neck,  and 
while  exerting  my  utmost  efforts  to  get  possession  of  his 

17 

UBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
Kf  URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 


scalping-knife.  which  hung  in  a  scabbard  over  his  breast, 
I  was  dragged  from  his  grasp  by  another  and  older  In- 
dian. The  latter  bore  me  struggling  and  resisting  to- 
wards the  lake. 

"I  was  immediately  plunged  into  the  water  and  held 
there  w^ith  a  forcible  hand,  notw^ithstanding  my  resist- 
ance. I  soon  perceived,  however,  that  the  object  of  my 
captor  was  not  to  drown  me,  for  he  held  me  firmly  in 
such  a  position  as  to  place  my  head  above  water.  This 
reassured  me,  and,  regarding  him  attentively,  I  soon 
recognized,  in  spite  of  the  paint  with  which  he  was  dis- 
guised, The  Black  Partridge. 

'"When  the  firing  had  nearly  subsided  my  preserver 
bore  me  from  the  water  and  conducted  me  up  the  sand- 
banks. It  was  a  burning  August  morning,  and  walking 
through  the  sand  in  my  drenched  condition  was  inex- 
pressibly painful  and  fatiguing.  I  stooped  and  took  off 
my  shoes  to  free  them  from  the  sand  w^ith  w^hich  they 
were  nearly  filled,  when  a  squaw  seized  and  carried  them 
off,  and  I  was  obliged  to  proceed  without  them. 

"When  we  had  gained  the  prairie,  I  was  met  by  my 
father,  who  told  me  that  my  husband  was  safe  and  but 
slightly  wounded.  They  led  me  gently  back  towards  the 
Chicago  River,  along  the  southern  bank  of  which  was  the 
Pottawattamie  encampment.  At  one  time  I  was  placed 
upon  a  horse  without  a  saddle,  but  finding  the  motion 
insupportable,  I  sprang  off.  Supported  partly  by  my 
conductor.  Black  Partridge,  and  partly  by  another  Indian 
Pee-so-tum,  w^ho  held  dangling  in  his  hand  a  scalp,  w^hich 
by  the  black  ribbon  around  the  queue  I  recognized  as 
that  of  Captain  "Wells,  I  dragged  my  fainting  steps  to  one 
of  the  wigwams. 

"The  wife  of  Wau-bee-nee-mah,  a  chief  from  the  Illi- 
nois River,  was  standing  near,  and,  seeing  my  exhausted 
condition,  she  seized  a  kettle,  dipped  up  some  water 
from  a  stream  that  flowed  near,  threw  into  it  some  ma- 
ple sugar;  and.  stirring  it  up  with  her  hand,  gave  it  to  me 
to  drink.  This  act  of  kindness,  in  the  midst  of  so  many 
horrors,  touched  me  most  sensibly;  but  my  attention  was 
soon  diverted  to  other  objects. 

"As  the  noise  of  the  firing  grew  gradually  less,  and 
the  stragglers  from  the  victorious  party  came   dropping 

18 


STATUE    OF    FORT    DEARBORN    INDIAN 
MASSACRE    1812 


in,  I  received  confirmation  of  what  my  father  had  hur- 
riedly communicated  in  our  rencontre  on  the  lake  shore; 
viz.,  that  the  whites  had  surrendered,  after  the  loss  of 
about  two  thirds  of  their  number.  They  had  stipulated, 
through  fhe  interpreter,  Peresh  Leclerc,  for  the  preser- 
vation of  their  lives,  and  those  of  the  remaining  women 
and  children,  and  for  their  delivery  at  some  of  the  Brit- 
ish posts,  unless  ransomed  by  traders  in  the  Indian 
country.  It  appears  that  the  wounded  prisoners  were 
not  considered  as  included  in  the  stipulation,  and  a  horrid 
scene  ensued  upon  their  being  brought  into  camp, 

"An  old  squaw,  infuriated  by  the  loss  of  friends,  or 
excited  by  the  sanguinary  scenes  around  her,  seemed 
possessed  by  a  demoniac  ferocity.  She  seized  a  stable- 
fork  and  assaulted  one  miserable  victim,  v/ho  lay  groan- 
ing and  writhing  in  the  agony  of  his  wounds,  aggravated 
by  the  scorching  beams  of  the  sun.  With  a  delicacy  of 
feeling  scarcely  to  have  been  expected  under  such  cir- 
cumstances Wau-bee-nee-mah  stretched  a  mat  across  two 
poles,  between  me  and  this  dreadful  scene.  I  was  thus 
spared  in  some  degree  a  view  of  its  horrors,  although  I 
could  not  entirely  close  my  ears  to  the  cries  of  the  suf- 
ferer. The  following  night  five  more  of  the  wounded 
prisoners  were  tomahawked." 

'Such  were  Mrs.  Helm's  experiences  during  the  fight. 
In  the  meantime  the  Americans,  after  their  first  attack 
by  the  Indians,  charged  upon  those  who  had  concealed 
themselves  in  a  sort  of  ravine,  intervening  between  the 
sand-banks  and  the  prairie.  The  latter  gathered  them- 
selves into  a  body,  and  after  some  hard  fighting,  in  which 
the  number  of  the  whites  had  become  reduced  to  twenty- 
eight,  this  little  band  succeeded  in  breaking  through  the 
enemy,  and  gaining  a  rising  ground,  not  far  from  the  Oak 
Woods.  Further  contest  now  seeming  hopeless.  Lieuten- 
ant Helm  sent  Peresh  Leclerc,  a  half  breed  boy  in  the 
service  of  Mr.  Kinzie,  who  had  accompanied  the  detach- 
ment and  fought  manfully  on  their  side,  to  propose  terms 
of  capitulation.  It  was  stipulated  that  the  lives  of  all  the 
survivors  should  be  spared,  and  a  ransom  permitted  as 
soon  as  practicable. 

•Mrs.  Helm  is  represented  by  the  female  figure  in  the  bronze 
group  at  the  foot  of  18th  street,  donated  to  the  City  of  Chicago  by 
the  late  Mr,  Pullman  to  commemorate  the  Massacre. 

19 


Those  of  the  family  of  Mr.  Kinzie  who  had  remain- 
ed in  the  boat,  near  the  mouth  of  the  river,  were  care- 
fully guarded  by  Kee-po-tah  and  another  Indian.  They 
had  seen  the  smoke — then  the  blaze — and  immediately 
after,  the  report  of  the  first  tremendous  discharge  sounded 
in  their  ears.  Then  all  was  confusion.  They  realized 
nothing  until  they  saw  an  Indian  come  towards  them 
from  the  battle-ground,  leading  a  horse  on  which  sat  a 
lady,  apparently  wounded.  "That  is  Mrs.  Heald,"  cried 
Mrs.  Kinzie.  "That  Indian  will  kill  her.  Run,  Chandon- 
nai,"  (to  one  of  Mr.  Kinzie's  clerks,)  "take  the  mule  that 
is  tied  there,  and  offer  it  to  him  to  release  her." 

Her  captor,  by  this  time,  was  in  the  act  of  disengaging 
her  bonnet  from  her  head,  in  order  to  scalp  her.  Chan- 
donnai  ran  up,  and  offered  the  mule  as  a  ransom,  with 
the  promise  of  ten  bottles  of  whiskey  as  soon  as  they 
should  reach  his  village.  The  latter  was  a  strong  temp- 
tation. 

"But,"  said  the  Indian,  "she  is  badly  wounded-she 
will  die.     Will  you  give  me  the  whisky  at  all  eventsV", 

Chandonnai  promised  that  he  would,  and  the  bar- 
gain was  concluded.  The  savage  placed  the  lady's  bon- 
net on  his  own  head,  and,  after  an  ineffectual  effort  on 
the  part  of  some  squaws  to  rob  her  of  her  shoes  and 
stockings,  she  was  brought  on  board  the  boat,  where  she 
lay  moaning  with  pain  from  the  many  bullet  wounds  she 
had  received  in  both  arms. 

The  horse  Mrs.  Heald  had  ridden  was  a  fine,  spirited 
animal,  and,  being  desirous  of  possessing  themselves  of  it 
uninjured,  the  Indians  had  aimed  their  shots  so  as  to 
disable  the  rider,  without  injuring  the  steed. 

She  had  not  lain  long  in  the  boat,  when  a  young  In- 
dian of  savage  aspect  was  seen  approaching,  A  buffalo 
robe  was  hastily  drawn  over  her,  and  she  was  admonish- 
ed to  suppress  all  sound  of  complaint,  as  she  valued  her 
hfe. 

The  heroic  woman  remained  perfectly  silent,  while 
the  savage  drew  near.  He  had  a  pistol  in  his  hand, 
which  he  rested  on  the  side  of  the  boat,  while  with  a 
fearful  scowl,  he  looked  pryingly  around.  Black  Jim, 
one  of  the  servants,  who  stood  in  the  bow    of   the    boat, 

20 


seized  an  ax  that  lay  near,  and  signed  to  him  that  if  he 
shot,  he  would  cleave  his  skull;  telling  him  that  the  boat 
contained  only  the  family  of  Sha\\r-nee-aw-kee.  Upon  this 
the  Indian  retired.  It  afterwards  appeared  that  the  ob- 
ject of  his  search  was  a  Mr.  Burnett,  a  trader  from  St. 
Joseph's,  with  whom  he  had  some  account  to  settle. 

When  the  boat  was  at  length  permitted  to  return  to 
the  house  of  Mr.  Kinzie,  and  Mrs.  Heald  was  removed 
to  the  house,  it  became  necessary  to  dress  her    wounds. 

Mr.  Kinzie  applied  to  an  old  chief  who  stood  by,  and 
who,  like  most  of  his  tribe,  possessed  some  skill  in  sur- 
gery, to  extract  a  ball  from  the  arm  of  the  sufferer. 

"No,  father,"  replied  he.  "I  cannot  do  it — it  makes 
me  sick  here" — (placing  his  hand  on  his  heart.) 

Mr.  Kinzie  then  performed  the  operation  himself, 
with  his  pen-knife. 

At  their  own  house  the  family  of  Mr.  Kinzie  were 
closely  guarded  by  their  Indian  friends,  whose  intention 
it  was  to  carry  them  to  Detroit  for  security.  The  rest  of 
the  prisoners  remained  at  the  wigwams  of  their  captors. 

Black  Partridge,  Wau-ban-see,  and  Kee-po-tah,  with 
two  other  Indians,  having  established  themselves  in  the 
porch  of  the  building  as  sentinels,  to  protect  the  family 
from  any  evil  that  the  young  men  might  be  excited  to 
commit,  all  remained  tranquil  for  a  short  space  after 
conflagration. 

Very  soon,  however,  a  party  of  Indians  from  the 
Wabash  made  their  appearance.  These  were,  decidedly 
the  most  hostile  and  implacable  of  all  the  tribes  of  the 
Potto  wattamies. 

Being  more  remote,  they  had  shared  less  than  some 
of  their  brethren  in  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Kinzie  and  his 
family,  and  consequently  their  sentiments  of  regard  for 
them  were  less  powerful. 

Runners  had  been  sent  to  the  village  to  apprise 
them  of  the  intended  evacuation  of  the  post,  as  well  as 
of  the  plan  of  the  Indians  assembled  to  attack  the  troops. 

21 


Thirsting  to  participate  in  such  a  scene,  they  hurried 
on:  and  great  was  their  mortification  on  arriving  at  the 
river  Aux  Plaines,  to  meet  with  a  party  of  their  friends 
having  with  them  their  chief  Nee-scot-nee-meg,  badly 
wounded,  and  to  learn  that  the  battle  was  over,  the  spoils 
divided,  and  the  scalps  all  taken. 

On  arriving  at  Chicago  they  blackened  their  faces, 
and  proceeded  towards  the  dwelling  of  Mr.  Kinzie, 

From  his  station  on  the  piazza  Black  Partridge  had 
watched  their  approach,  and  his  fears  w^ere  particularly 
awakened  for  the  safety  of  Mrs.  Helm  (Mr.  Kinzie's  step- 
daughter.) who  had  recently  come  to  the  post,  and  was 
personally  unknown  to  the  more  remote  Indians.  By 
his  advice  she  was  made  to  assume  the  ordinary  dress 
of  a  French  w^oman  of  the  country:  namely  a  short  gown 
and  petticoat,  witli  a  blue  cotton  handkerchief  wrapped 
around  her  head.  In  this  disguise  she  w^as  conducted  by 
Black  Partridge  himself  to  the  house  of  Ouilmette,  a 
Frenchman  with  a  half-breed  w^ife,  w^ho  formed  a  part  of 
the  establishment  of  Mr.  Kinzie,  and  whose  dwelling  was 
close  at  hand. 

It  so  happened  that  the  Indians  came  first  to  this 
house,  in  their  search  for  prisoners-  As  they  approach- 
ed, the  inmates,  fearful  that  the  fair  complexion  and  gen- 
eral appearance  of  Mrs.  Helm  might  betray  her  for  an 
American,  raised  a  large  feather  bed  and  placed  her 
under  the  edge  of  it,  upon  the  bed-stead,  with  her  face  to 
the  wall.  Mrs.  Bisson,  a  half-breed,  the  sister  of  Ouil- 
mette's  wife,  then  seated  herself  with  her  sewing  upon 
the  front  of  the  bed. 

It  was  a  hot  day  in  August,  and  the  feverish  excite- 
ment of  fear  and  agitation,  together  w^ith  her  position, 
which  was  nearly  suffocating,  became  so  intolerable,  that 
Mrs.  Helm  at  length  entreated  to  be  released  and  given 
up  to  the  Indians. 

"I  can  but  die,"  said  she;  "let  them  put  an  end  to  my 
misery  at  once.'' 

Mrs.  Bisson  replied,  "Your  death  would  be  the  de- 
struction of  us  all,  for  Black  Partridge  has  resolved  that 
if  one  drop  of  the  blood  of  your  family  is  spilled,  he  will 

22 


i 


take  the  lives  of  all  concerned  in  it,  even  his  nearest 
fiiends;  and  if  once  the  work  of  murder  commences, 
there  will  be  no  end  of  it,  so  long  as  there  remains  one 
white  person  or  half  breed  in  the  country." 

This  expostulation  nerved  Mrs.  Helm  with  fresh 
resolution. 

The  Indians  entered,  and  she  could  occasionally  see 
them  from  her  hiding-place,  gliding  about,  and  stealthily 
inspecting  every  part  of  the  room,  though  without  mak- 
ing any  ostensible  search,  until,  apparently  satisfied  that 
there  was  no  one  concealed,  they  left  the  house. 

All  this  time  Mrs.  Bisson  had  kept  her  seat  upon  the 
side  of  the  bed,  calmly  assorting  and  arranging  the 
patch-work  of  the  quilt  on  which  she  was  engaged,  and 
preserving  an  appearance  of  the  utmost  tranquillity,  al- 
though she  knew  not  but  that  the  next  moment  she 
might  receive  a  tomahawk  in  her  brain.  Her  self-com- 
mand unquestionably  saved  the  lives  of  all  present. 

From  Ouilmette's  house  the  party  of  Indians  pro- 
ceeded to  the  dwelling  of  Mr.  Kinzie.  They  entered  the 
parlor  in  which  the  family  were  assembled  with  their 
faithful  protectors,  and  seated  themselves  upon  the  floor 
in  silence. 

Black  Partridge  perceived  from  their  moody  and  re- 
vengeful looks  what  was  passing  in  their  minds,  but  he 
dared  not  remonstrate  with  them.  He  only  observed  in 
a  low  tone  to  Wau-ban-see, — 

"We  have  endeavored  to  save  our  friends,  but  it  is 
in  vain — nothing  will  save  them  now." 

At  this  moment  a  friendly  whoop  was  heard  from  a 
party  of  new-comers  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river. 
Black  Partridge  sprang  to  meet  their  leader,  as  the  ca- 
noes in  which  they  had  hastily  embarked  touched  the 
bank  near  the  house. 

"Who  are  you?"  demanded  he. 

"A  man.     Who  are  you?" 

"A  man  like  yourself.  But  tell  me  who  you  are" — 
meaning,  tell  me  your  disposition,  and  for  which  side 
you  are. 

23 


"I  am  a  Sau-ga-nash."  i.e.  an  "Englishman," — a  friend, 

"Then  make  all  speed  to  the  house — your  friend  is 
in  danger,  and  you  alone  can  save  him." 

Billy  Caldwell,  for  it  was  he,  entered  the  parlor  with 
a  calm  step,  and  without  a  trace  of  agitation  in  his  man- 
ner. He  deliberately  took  off  his  accoutrements  and 
placed  them  with  his  rifle  behind  the  door,  then  saluted 
the  hostile  savages. 

"How  now,  my  friends.  A  good-day  to  you.  I  w^as 
told  there  were  enemies  here,  but  I  am  glad  to  find  only 
friends.  Why  have  you  blackened  your  faces  ?  Is  it 
that  you  are  mourning  for  the  friends  you  have  lost  in 
battle?"  (purposely  misunderstanding  this  token  of  evil 
designs)  "Or  is  it  that  you  are  fasting?  If  so,  ask  our 
friend,  here,  and  he  will  give  you  to  eat.  He  is  the 
Indian's  friend,  and  never  yet  refused  them  what  they 
had  need  of." 

Thus  taken  by  surprise,  the  savages  were  ashamed 
to  acknowledge  their  bloody  purpose.  They,  therefore, 
said  modestly  that  they  came  to  beg  of  their  friends 
some  w^hite  cotton  in  w^hich  to  w^rap  their  dead  before 
interring  them.  This  was  given  to  them,  with  some 
other  presents,  and  they  took  their  departure  peaceably 
from  the  premises. 

On  the  third  day  after  the  battle,  the  family  of  Mr, 
Kinzie,  with  the  clerks  of  the  establishment,  were  put 
into  a  beat,  under  the  care  of  Francois,  a  half-breed  in- 
terpreter, and  conveyed  to  St  Joseph's,  where  they  re- 
mained until  the  following  November,  under  the  protec- 
tion of  To-pee-nee-bee's  band.  They  were  then  con- 
ducted to  Detroit,  under  the  escort  of  Chandonnai  and 
their  trusty  Indian  friend,  Kee-po-tah,  and  delivered  up, 
as  prisoners  of  war,  to  Colonel  McKee,  the  British  Indi- 
an Agent, 

Mr.  Kinzie  was  not  allowed  to  leave  St.  Joseph's 
with  his  family,  his  Indian  friends  insisting  on  his  re- 
maining and  endeavoring  to  secure  some  remnant  of  his 
scattered  property.  During  his  excursions  with  them 
for  that  purpose,  he  wore  the  costume  and  paint  of  the 
tribe,  in  order  to  escape  capture  and  perhaps  death  at 
the  hands  of  those  who  were  still  thirsting  for  blood. 

24 


In  time,  however,  his  anxiety  for  his  family  induced  him 
to  follow  them  to  Detroit,  where,  in  the  month  of  Janu- 
ary, he  was  received  and  paroled  by  General  Proctor. 

Lieutenant  Helm  was  carried  by  some  friendly  Indi- 
ans to  their  village  on  the  Au  Sable,  and  thence  to  Peo- 
ria, where  he  was  liberated  by  the  intervention  of  Mr. 
Thomas  Forsyth,  the  half-brother  of  Mr.  Kinzie.  Mrs. 
Helm  accompanied  her  parents  to  St.  Joseph,  where  they 
resided  in  the  family  of  Alexander  Robinson,  receiving 
from  them  all  possible  kindness  and  hospitality  for  sev- 
eral months. 

After  their  arrival  in  Detroit,  Mrs.  Helm  was  joined 
by  her  husband. 

It  had  been  a  stipulation  of  General  Hull  at  the  sur- 
render of  Detroit,  which  took  place  the  day  after  the 
massacre  at  Chicago,  that  the  inhabitants  should  be, per- 
mitted to  remain  undisturbed  in  their  homes.  Accord- 
ingly, the  family  of  Mr.  Kinzie  took  up  their  quarters 
with  their  friends  in  the  old  mansion,  which  many  will 
still  recollect  as  standing  on  the  north-west  corner  of 
Jefferson  Avenue  and  Wayne  Street. 

Feelings  of  indignation  and  sympathy  were  con- 
stantly aroused  in  the  hearts  of  the  citizens  during  the 
winter  that  ensued.  They  were  almost  daily  called 
upon  to  witness  the  cruelties  practiced  upon  the  Ameri- 
can prisoners  brought  in  by  their  Indian  captors.  Those 
who  could  scarcely  drag  their  wounded,  bleeding  feet 
over  the  frozen  ground,  were  compelled  to  dance  for  the 
amusement  of  the  savages. 

Everything  that  could  be  made  available  among  the 
effects  of  the  citizens  was  offered  to  ransom  their  coun- 
trymen from  the  hands  of  these  inhuman  beings.  The 
prisoners  brought  in  from  the  river  Rasin — those  unfor- 
tunate men  who  were  permitted,  after  their  surrender  to 
General  Proctor,  to  be  tortured  and  murdered  by  inches 
by  his  savage  allies — excited  the  sympathies  and  called 
for  the  action  of  the  whole  community.  Private  houses 
were  turned  into  hospitals,  and  everyone  went  forward 
to  get  possession  of  as  many  as  possible  of  the  survi- 
vors.    To  effect  this,  even  the  articles  of  their  apparel 

25 


were  bartered  by  the  ladies  of  Detroit,  as  they  watched 
from  their  doors  or  windows  the  miserable  victims  car- 
ried about  for  sale. 

In  the  dwelling  of  Mr.  Kinzie  one  large  room  was 
devoted  to  the  reception  of  the  sufferers.  Few  of  them 
survived, 

Mr.  Kinzie,  as  has  been  related,  joined  his  family  at 
Detroit  in  the  month  of  January.  A  short  time  after, 
suspicions  arose  in  the  mind  of  General  Proctor  that  he 
w^as  in  correspondence  w^ith  General  Harrison,  w^ho  w^as 
now  at  Fort  Meigs,  and  who  was  believed  to  be  medi- 
tating an  advance  on  Detroit.  Lieutenant  Watson,  of  the 
British  army,  waited  upon  Mr.  Kinzie  one  day  with  an 
invitation  to  the  quarters  of  General  Proctor  on  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  river,  saying  he  wished  to  speak  with 
him  on  business,  Quite  unsuspicious,  he  complied  with 
the  invitation,  when  to  his  surprise  he  was  ordered  into 
confinement,  and  strictly  guarded  in  the  house  of  his 
former  partner,  Mr,  Patterson,  of  Sandwich,  Finding 
that  he  did  not  return  to  his  home,  Mrs.  Kinzie  informed 
some  of  the  Indian  chiefs,  his  particular  friends,  who 
immediately  repaired  to  the  headquarters  of  the  com- 
manding officer,  demanded  "their  friend's"  release,  and 
brought  him  back  to  his  home.  After  waiting  a  time 
until  a  favorable  opportunity  presented  itself,  the  Gen- 
eral sent  a  detachment  of  Dragoons  to  arrest  Mr.  Kinzie. 
They  had  succeeded  in  carrying  him  away  and  crossing 
the  river  with  him.  Just  at  this  moment  a  party  of 
friendly  Indians  made  their  appearance. 

"Where  is  the  Shaw-nee-aw-kee?"  was  the  first  ques- 
tion. 

"There,"  replied  his  wife,  pointing  across  the  river, 
"in  the  hands  of  the  red-coats,  who  are  taking  him  away 
again." 

The  Indians  ran  to  the  river,  seized  some  canoes 
that  they  found  there,  and,  crossing  over  to  Sandwich, 
compelled  General  Proctor  a  second  time  to  forego  his 
intentions. 

A  third  time  this  officer  made  the  attempt,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  arresting  Mr.  Kinzie  and  conveying  him  heavi- 
ly ironed  to  Fort  Maiden,  in  Canada,  at  the  mouth  of  the 

26 


Detroit  River.  Here  he  was  at  first  treated  with  great 
severity,  but  after  a  time  the  rigor  of  his  confinement 
was  somewhat  relaxed,  and  he  was  permitted  to  walk  on 
the  bank  of  the  river  for  air  and  exercise. 

On  the  10th  of  September,  as  he  was  taking  his 
promenade  under  the  close  supervision  of  a  guard  of 
soldiers,  the  whole  party  were  startled  by  the  sound  of 
guns  upon  Lake  Erie,  at  no  great  distance  below.  What 
could  it  mean?  It  must  be  Commodore  Barclay  firing 
into  some  of  the  Yankees.  The  firing  continued.  The 
hour  aLotted  the  prisoner  for  his  daily  walk  expired,  but 
neither  he  nor  his  guard  observed  the  lapse  of  time,  so 
anxiously  were  they  listening  to  what  they  now  felt  sure 
was  an  engagement  between  ships  of  war.  At  length 
Mr.  Kinzie  was  reminded  that  the  hour  for  his  return  to 
confinement  had  arrived.  He  petitioned  for  another 
half-hour. 

"Let  me  stay"  said  he,  "till  we  can  learn  how  the 
battle  has  gone." 

Very  soon  a  sloop  appeared  under  press  of  sail 
rounding  the  point,  and  presently  two  gun-boats  in  chase 
ot  her. 

'She  is  running — she  bears  the  British  colors,"  cried 
he — "yes,  yes,  they  are  lowering — she  is  striking  her  flag. 
Now,"  turning  to  the  soldiers,  "I  will  go  back  to  prison 
contented — I  know  how  the  battle  has  gone." 

The  sloop  was  the  "Little  Belt,"  the  last  of  the 
squadron  captured  by  the  gallant  Perry  on  that  memor- 
able occasion  which  he  announced  in  the  immortal  words: 

"We  have  met  the  enemy,  and  they  are  ours." 

Matters  were  growing  critical,  and  it  was  necessary 
to  transfer  all  prisoners  to  a  place  of  greater  security 
than  the  frontier  was  now  likely  to  be.  It  was  resolved 
therefore  to  send  Mr.  Kinzie  to  the  mother-country.  He 
had  been  taken  from  the  bosom  of  his  family,  where  he 
was  living  quietly  under  the  parole  which  he  had  re- 
ceived, and  protected  by  the  stipulations  of  the  surren- 
der. He  had  been  kept  for  months  in  confinement. 
Now  he  was  placed  on  horseback  under  a  strong  guard, 
who    announced    that    they    had    orders    to    shoot    him 

27 


through  the  head  if  he  offered  to  speak  to  a  person 
upon  the  road.  He  was  tied  upon  the  saddle  to  prevent 
his  escape,  and  thus  they  set  out  for  Quebec.  A  httle 
incident  occurred,  which  will  help  to  illustrate  the  course 
invariably  pursued  towards  our  citizens  at  this  period 
by  the  British  army  on  the  Northwestern  frontier. 

The  saddle  on  which  Mr.  Kinzie  rode  had  not  been 
properly  fastened,  and,  owing  to  the  rough  motion  of  the 
animal  on  which  it  was,  it  turned,  so  as  to  bring  the 
rider  into  a  most  awkward  and  painful  position.  His 
limbs  being  fastened,  he  could  not  disengage  himself, 
and  in  this  manner  he  was  compelled  by  those  who  had 
charge  of  him  to  ride  until  he  was  nearly  exhausted, 
before  they  had  the  humanity  to  release  him. 

Arrived  at  Quebec,  he  was  put  on  board  a  small 
vessel  to  be  sent  to  England.  The  vessel  when  a  few 
days  out  at  sea  was  chased  by  an  American  frigate  and 
driven  into  Halifax.  A  second  time  she  set  sail,  when 
she  sprung  a  leak  and  was  compelled  to  put  back. 

The  attempt  to  send  him  across  the  ocean  was  now 
abandoned,  and  he  was  returned  to  Quebec.  Another 
step,  equally  inexplicable  with  his  arrest,  was  soon  after 
taken-  This  was,  his  release  and  that  of  Mr.  Macomb, 
of  Detroit,  who  was  also  in  confinement  in  Quebec,  and 
the  permission  given  them  to  return  to  their  friends  and 
families,  although  the  war  was  not  yet  ended.  It  may 
possibly  be  imagined  that  in  the  treatment  these  gentle- 
men received,  the  British  commander-in-chief  sheltered 
himself  under  the  plea  of  their  being  "native-born  British 
subjects",  and  perhaps  when  it  was  ascertained  that  Mr. 
Kinzie  was  indeed  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  it  was 
thought  safest  to  release  him. 

In  the  meantime,  General  Harrison  at  the  head  of 
his  troops  had  reached  Detroit.  He  landed  on  the  29th 
of  September.  All  the  citizens  went  forth  to  meet  him — 
Mrs.  Kinzie  was  of  the  number.  The  General  accompa- 
nied her  to  her  home,  and  took  up  his  abode  there.  On 
his  arrival  he  was  introduced  to  Kee-po-tah,  who  hap- 
pened to  be  on  a  visit  to  the  family  at  that  time.  The 
General  had  seen  the  chief  the  preceding  year  at  the 
Council  at  Vincennes,  and  the  meeting  was  one  of  great 
cordiality  and  interest. 

28 


Fort  Dearborn  was  rebuilt  in  1816,  on  a  larger  scale 
than  the  former  fort,  and,  on  the  return  of  the  troops, 
the  bones  of  the  unfortunate  Americans  who  had  been 
massacred  four  years  previously,  were  collected  and 
buried. 

In  this  same  year  Mr.  Kinzie  and  his  family  again 
returned  to  Chicago,  where  he  at  once  undertook  to 
collect  the  scattered  remnants  of  his  property — a  most 
disheartening  task.  He  found  his  various  trading-posts 
abandoned,  his  clerks  scattered,  and  his  valuable  furs, 
goods,  etc.,  lost  or  destroyed. 

In  real  estate,  however,  he  was  rich — for  he  owned 
nearly  all  the  land  on  the  North  side  of  the  Chicago 
River,  and  many  acres  on  the  South  and  West  sides,  as 
well  as  all  of  what  was  known  as  "Kinzie's  Addition." 

At  the  present  day  the  "Kinzie  School,"  and  the 
street  which  bears  his  name,  are  all  that  remain  to  re- 
mind this  generation  of  the  pioneer  on  whose  land  now 
stands  the  wonderful  City  of  Chicago. 

In  1818,  through  the  influence  of  cwo  of  his  warm 
friends,  Mr.  Ramsey  Crooks  and  Mr.  Robert  Stuart,  Mr. 
Kinzie  secured  a  clerkship  in  the  American  Fur  Com- 
pany for  his  son,  "John  Harris."  The  headquarters  of 
the  Company  were  in  Mackinac,  where  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Stuart  insisted  on  taking  young  John  into  their  own 
family.  "With  these  delightful  friends  he  made  his  home 
for  the  next  five  years. 

Shortly  after  the  return  of  the  family  to  Chicago, 
James  Kinzie  left  the  home  of  his  mother,  Mrs.  Benjamin 
Hall,  in  Virginia,  and  came  back  to  his  father.  Here  he 
was  at  once  made  welcome.  His  father  aided  him  finan- 
cially, and  Mrs.  Kinzie  was  his  affectionate  and  consid- 
erate friend.  He  repaid  her  by  unfailing  respect  and 
regard.  Although  she  had  been  dead  for  several  years 
when  his  second  daughter  was  born,  the  child  was 
named  "Eleanor"  after  her. 

James  became  a  valued  citizen  of  Chicago,  and  took 
an  active  part  in  her  early  development. 

Life  was  very  quiet  and  monotonous  in  these  days. 
There  were  few  social  events  of  any  importance;  there- 

29 


fore  a  marriage  in  Mr.  Kinzie's  family  became  quite  an 
event.  Ellen  Marion  Kinzie,  or,  as  she  was  usually 
called,  "Nellie  Kinzie,"  was  the  first  white  child  born  out- 
side of  Fort  Dearborn,  December  20th,  1805.  She  was 
educated  at  Mount  Holyoke  Seminary,  in  Massachusetts, 
and,  shortly  after  her  return  home  from  that  institution, 
(in  1823),  she  married  Dr.  Alexander  Wolcott,  formerly 
of  Boston,  but  now  stationed  in  Chicago  as  Indian  Agent. 

Six  years  later  John  Harris  Kinzie  married  Miss 
Juliette  A.  Magill,  of  Middletown,  Conn.  She  was  a 
niece  of  Dr.  Alexander  Wolcott's. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  H.  Kinzie  occupied  a  prominent 
place  in  the  early  history  of  Chicago.  Their  hospitable 
home  w^as  the  center  of  its  social  and  literary  life,  and 
its  foremost  charities  were  organized  and  supported 
mainly  by  their  efforts. 

Mr.  John  H.  Kinzie,  Mr.  George  W.  Dole  and  Mr, 
Robt.  A.  Kinzie,  gave  the  land  and  furnished  the  money 
to  erect  St.  James  Church,  the  first  church  built  in 
Chicago. 

Mrs.  Kinzie  was  the  authoress  of  "WAU-BUN." 

In  1828,  the  youngest  daughter,  Maria  Indiana,  be- 
came the  wife  of  Lieut.  David  Hunter,  of  the  5th  Infantry, 
U.  S.  A.,  while  Robert  Allan,  the  youngest  son,  married 
in  1833,  (five  years  after  his  father's  death),  Gwinthlean, 
the  youngest  daughter  of  Col.  John  Whistler,  U.  S.  A,, 
and  a  first  cousin  to  the  celebrated  artist,  James  McNeil 
Whistler.  She  was  remarkably  beautiful,  and  Charles 
Dickens  pronounced  her  the  handsomest  woman  he  met 
in  America. 

Mr,  Kinzie,  recognizing  the  importance  of  the  geo- 
graphical position  of  Chicago,  and  the  vast  fertility  of 
the  surrounding  country,  had  always  foretold  its  eventual 
prosperity.  Unfortunately,  he  w^as  not  permitted  to 
witness  the  realization  of  his  predictions. 

On  the  6th  of  January,  1828,  he  was  stricken  with 
apoplexy,  and,  in  a  few  hours,  death  closed  his  useful 
and  energetic  career. 

John  Kinzie  was  not  only  the  sturdy  pioneer,  but 
also  the  courteous  gentleman. 

30 


To  keen  business  ability  he  united  the  strictest  hon- 
esty, and  to  the  most  dauntless  courage,  a  tender  and 
generous  heart. 

As  the  loyal  devoted  friend  of  the  Red  man,  tradi- 
tion has  handed  down  the  name  of  Shaw-nee-aw-kee 
throughout  all  the  tribes  of  the  Northwest. 

His  remains  rest  in  Graceland  Cemetery  in  the  city 
of  his  love — Chicago. 


31 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILUNOIS-URBANA 
B.K56G  C002 

JOHN  KINZIE.  THE  FATHER  OF  CHICAGO  SAVAN 


3  0112  025407161 


